I had forgotten how much I loved "Almost Famous"

[KurtNYC]

until I saw it again on TNT last night.

Francis McDormand's character and her quotes from Goethe to the character Russell (eg. Be bold and might forces will come to your aid) was hyper-real but just to the right degree. Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the BTDT version of the younger writer deepened the perspective. And the whole story becomes a kind of metaphor for the era.

Set in 1973, it dramatizes our journey from wide-eyed rock fans to semi-cynical would-be customers of the culture vultures who crushed all the fun out of and commoditized rock. The soundtrack kept you right in the era. And the "we're all gonna die" scene on the plane was perfect.

[ET Awful]

1. I AM A GOLDEN GOD!!!!!!

:P

One of my favorite movies!

[acmavm]

2. I started to watch it last night but stuff got in the way. I wish I

would have tho.

At least I have the DVD.

[TrogL]

14. Why is there stuff piled in front of your TV

...and why didn't you move it?

[acmavm]

15. Never thought about it.

[wildhorses]

3. yep...it really captures the moment

:thumbsup:

[jobycom]

4. One of my top five. nt

[Zomby Woof]

5. A fantastic movie!

And Hoffman captured why I hated the arrogant hack Lester Bangs (and most critics in general), but that is a subject for another time.

Cameron Crowe based the story on his own experiences as a 15 year old whiz kid on the staff of Rolling Stone in 1973. Stillwater was his distillation of all the bands he covered throughout that year: Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Eagles, and the Allman Brothers. Snippets of real life incidents from all of those bands informed the script. (Robert Plant made the original "golden god" comment).

Great performances by EVERYONE in the film. I still don't think Kate Hudson has done better work, and Frances McDormand was unforgettable.

[KurtNYC]

6. That explains a lot

it had that 'ring of truth' to it. And while a couple of scenes played differently could have been straight out of Spinal Tap, the tone of the the film was evenly consistent.

I was thinking Peter Frampton was the basis for the 'golden god' incident but Plant makes sense. I saw Plant live last month and he still has that duality -- talented rock icon versus regular guy who just happens to love making trippy blues-fueled rock music.

[LostinVA]

7. We watched it last night, too

I AM A GOLDEN GOD -- DO DRUGS

[flamingyouth]

8. One of my favorite recent films

Phillip Seymour Hoffman is amazing in it, and really everyone is great.

I AM A GOLDEN GOD!!

I have probably watched this film 20 times and could watch it 20 more... a great flick. :D

[Shakespeare]

9. I assume you know this, but....just in case....

Phillip Seymour Hoffman's character was a real person, the late Lester Bangs, and his writing is still available in paperback (and a blast to read). I recommend it if you're still on a roll from the movie. Actually, I recommend it period--some of the best writing on music you'll ever find. We lost Bangs WAY too soon.

[taterguy]

10. Lester Bangs reviewed Almost Famous

Actually he wrote about Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of Lenny Bruce but I think what he wrote applies to Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance:

It is that edge that Hoffman, good as he is, misses totally. He just doesn't catch the nastiness that was finally what endeared Lenny Bruce to those of us who may have chosen our heroes for the wrong reasons but at least liked them for what they really were.

The entire review can be found here:

http://members.aol.com/dcspohr/lenny/hoffman.htm

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

11. Try & track down a copy of Crowe's cut - "Untitled"

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=4193

[KurtNYC]

12. When I add this to my DVD collection

that is the version I want. Thanks for the tip.

[yorgatron]

13. that "bootleg cut" sounds like something i need to see.

i still think it was criminal that Kate Hudson lost to Marcia Gay Harden :mad:

[ghostsofgiants]

17. I have it, it's excellent.

I definitely prefer it to the theatrical cut.

[dback]

16. "They never use birth control , and they eat all the steak!"

Fairuza Balk's finest film work, and that's saying something--she has that one scene where Mcdormand calls, and you can watch her eyes literally bulge out in terror; then the above quote at the end, as she's watching the new Band-Aids file in, which put me into absolute hysterics in the movie theater.

Cameron Crowe's last great film.